Salvage volunteers hoisted an ultra-rare German World War II-era aircraft from the bottom of a fjord in southern Norway, reports Britain’s Daily Mail. The Heinkel He-115, a twin-engine floatplane torpedo-bomber, is the only example of its type recovered so far, according to press reports. “It was in remarkably good condition. You could see the swastika on the tail plane and a machine gun still had a belt of ammunition attached,” said oil worker Oliver Scott who observed the recovery, according to the Daily Mail’s July 10 report. The salvagers recovered the aircraft in June. After a two-year soak in an anti-corrosive bath, restorers plan to refurbish the aircraft—possibly to flying condition, states the newspaper. The Heinkel reportedly sank upside-down in December 1942 in 120 feet of water. The fjord’s cold, calm waters seemingly helped to preserve the airplane.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
